December Oneshot
by Obcerveris
Summary: A oneshot speculating on what December owed September for when September was telling him that he owed him, as well as a speculation on why he died. Trigger warning for suicide.


p style="margin: 1em 0px 0px; color: #444444; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"Present:/p  
p style="margin: 1em 0px 0px; color: #444444; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;""You owe me," September's gaze hardened as he spoke. December knew what September wanted. The image in September's mind was clear. He was looking for an initiating reactor, and wished for December to time travel to the future to retrieve it. December frowned, debating with himself./p  
p style="margin: 1em 0px 0px; color: #444444; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"…../p  
p style="margin: 1em 0px 0px; color: #444444; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" Memory: Post August Incident/p  
p style="margin: 1em 0px 0px; color: #444444; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"December recalled September standing before the Commander and Windmark after August had died. He argued that December should not be deposed as leader of the Science Team./p  
p style="margin: 1em 0px 0px; color: #444444; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;""August acted of his own accord," September had said, "December should not be punished for August's actions."/p  
p style="margin: 1em 0px 0px; color: #444444; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"A head tilt in response from the Commander. "December was in charge of the Team. Logic dictates that he would know of August's intentions in regards to Christine Hollis. He could have intervened before this got out of hand. Christine Hollis was not meant to live." The Commander shifted in his seat before continuing, "Tell me one good reason why he should not be… how do you say… "let go"?"/p  
p style="margin: 1em 0px 0px; color: #444444; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"Let go… That usually meant termination for their kind. It meant execution, experimentation, or torture. It was one of the few things Observers feared, or at the very least, intensely disliked. They tried to avoid it as much as possible./p  
p style="margin: 1em 0px 0px; color: #444444; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"September stood firm under the Commander's gaze. "There are twelve of us, with all due respect, Commander. You must understand that one man will have a harder time keeping track of eleven other people, despite our technology. Then you must factor in his duties to play witness to important Events, as well as guide time in the correct path in order for our race to exist. For December to be able to know the intimate details of each of our intentions, thoughts, assignments, he would have to be in more than one place at once, or have multiple copies of himself, neither of which would be plausible or in our best interests. I reiterate. August acted of his own accord. He has paid the price for it. The universe has corrected itself. August has traded his life so that Christine Hollis may live. She has become… Important." September's voice was devoid of emotion and his posture rigid. The only emphasis was placed on the word "Important"./p  
p style="margin: 1em 0px 0px; color: #444444; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"The Commander inhaled, his expression unreadable. He was silent as he processed September's rationale. There was truth to his words. December would be no use to him dead or otherwise incapacitated. The Commander came to the conclusion that he would need to keep a tighter leash on the Science team as he turned his head to face December. "You shall continue your duties as leader of the Twelve…" he spoke slowly, choosing his words with care. "However, I expect an increase of reports to Windmark…" The Commander went on to describe exactly what he meant./p  
p style="margin: 1em 0px 0px; color: #444444; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"…/p  
p style="margin: 1em 0px 0px; color: #444444; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"Present:/p  
p style="margin: 1em 0px 0px; color: #444444; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"December's mind drifted to another memory./p  
p style="margin: 1em 0px 0px; color: #444444; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"…/p  
p style="margin: 1em 0px 0px; color: #444444; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"Memory: Making Angels/p  
p style="margin: 1em 0px 0px; color: #444444; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"December and March were Observing Neil Chung. This man was currently at his mother's house. He stood across from his mother, who sat in a rocking chair. She was afraid of the man who was her son. He wasn't making any sense. Advanced equations? Seeing through time? His mother thought he had lost his mind. Then Neil had mentioned the day of the accident, and how he had overheard her praying to God afterwards. You took the wrong son. He wanted to prove his worth to her. He wanted to protect and watch over her. A sense of guilt, from what the Observers could tell, had overcome this woman, a frown crossing her face./p  
p style="margin: 1em 0px 0px; color: #444444; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"They noticed Agent Dunham had made her way into Mrs. Chung's house, gun in tow. She stepped carefully, as to not alert either of them, and to catch what Neil had said. Neil, however, had seen her moving around the corner, and shot. He missed, and stated that angels could not remain on earth as his dying words when Olivia returned fire, piercing his heart. The Observers were curious as to what made this man take such a keen interest in the equations, and had moved to a point in time after the FBI had finished their crime scene were in Neil Chung's bedroom, in which there was a small safe. March had opened the safe, as he gazed into the past and watched a faint impression of Neil opening the safe. He pulled out a piece of technology that would be out of place in the twenty first century by any standards. Not even Massive Dynamic would have discovered this yet./p  
p style="margin: 1em 0px 0px; color: #444444; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;""This is… September's," March stated. If this device was here, one could only come to the conclusion… "Peter Bishop has not been erased."/p  
p style="margin: 1em 0px 0px; color: #444444; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"December felt an inkling of emotion. What was it? Something about September's disobedience unsettled him. December had thought September would be wise enough to do as he asked. But now… now he had placed a metaphorical fire under the entire science team. The Commander would be extremely displeased. September needed to be punished, as much as December hated inflicting punishment upon the Science Team. He was still coming to terms with August's death. December did not want to go through with hiring another assassin, so he figured it would be best to hide the universe from September. Lock him out./p  
p style="margin: 1em 0px 0px; color: #444444; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;""What should we do, December?" March queried, "You know we cannot allow him to interfere any further."/p  
p style="margin: 1em 0px 0px; color: #444444; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;""I am aware," December spoke slowly, almost resigned. "We must find him and lock him away from this universe."/p  
p style="margin: 1em 0px 0px; color: #444444; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;""Would it not be simpler to eliminate him?" March tilted his head./p  
p style="margin: 1em 0px 0px; color: #444444; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;""Why waste a mind?" December deflected. "It would not solve what he has done. September is still valuable…"/p  
p style="margin: 1em 0px 0px; color: #444444; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;""…If that is what you wish, December." March did not agree, nor did he particularly like September. December seemed to have what the twenty first century humans call a 'soft spot' for him. It displeased March./p  
p style="margin: 1em 0px 0px; color: #444444; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;""It is… Now, let us be off."/p  
p style="margin: 1em 0px 0px; color: #444444; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"The two traveled through time, searching for September, only to come upon him injured in Walter Bishop's lab. Though it was worrisome to December to see his colleague shot, he knew he had to punish September for disobeying. There was a struggle at hyper attenuated speed. September resisted, with all of his remaining strength, long enough to do something to the Bishop boy. As to what, December was uncertain. When September was weakened and could no longer struggle, they moved him to a space outside of time./p  
p style="margin: 1em 0px 0px; color: #444444; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;""You know why this has happened… Every action has a consequence, and now you must face yours," December stated, to September as he was falling back into unconsciousness. December pulled out a device from his pocket. He pressed a sequence of buttons./p  
p style="margin: 1em 0px 0px; color: #444444; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"Memory:Post Making Angels/p  
p style="margin: 1em 0px 0px; color: #444444; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" September felt a strange sensation in his head as the connection to the universe, to time, was severed. He kept his mind blank before passing out from exertion and blood loss. Thankfully when one is removed from time, such as September was, they do not experience the passage of it. September would be able to heal his wounds. All he could do at this point was hope that Peter would find and activate the Time Beacon./p  
p style="margin: 1em 0px 0px; color: #444444; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"Slowly, ever so slowly, or was it slowly? One couldn't really tell if time didn't pass. September's wounds healed. He repeatedly tried to go back to Peter Bishop's universe, until finally he got through, appearing before him. Peter had attacked him, wanting answers. Really, September shouldn't have expected anything different, considering their last encounters. Peter asked him to help him get back home, to provide answers, to which September had responded that Peter was home, and that Olivia was his Olivia, before disappearing to Observe the Invasion. He saw his people slaughtering innocents who would not submit, the degradation of a once beautiful planet all over again. He was grabbed from behind, and let out a gasp in surprise as he was injected with a tethering agent. A voice from behind him spoke. "You should not be here, September…" He recognized that voice. March./p  
p style="margin: 1em 0px 0px; color: #444444; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"September felt his muscles tighten, and his breaths become shallow. He began to feel an inkling of fear as he was used to being able to sense time, and it's movement. Now he could not. He could barely move as the tethering agent took full effect. "March… I.. do not… understand," he took several breaths before continuing, "Why?… We… were comrades."/p  
p style="margin: 1em 0px 0px; color: #444444; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"March frowned. "Comrades you say? I am anything but your have made things difficult for the rest of us, September. You have not thought through on the full consequences of your actions. December was far too soft on you," he hissed in a slight show of anger. He too was affected by his time studying the Natives, more like primitive apes in his opinion./p  
p style="margin: 1em 0px 0px; color: #444444; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"March wrapped his arms around September's neck and proceeded to teleport himself to 2609. The Commander was in deep discussion with December, getting the last dregs of information that the Science Team he gathered. The disturbance of the magnetic field around them caught the Commander's attention. "March? ….and September…." A hard look crossed his face as he turned to December. His body posture stiffened. "I had believed him to be under control. Why is he here?"/p  
p style="margin: 1em 0px 0px; color: #444444; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"December had a brief look of bewilderment. "I… do not have an explanation… All I can tell you is it is not of my doing."/p  
p style="margin: 1em 0px 0px; color: #444444; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;""He cannot be released from imprisonment…and there is no guarantee that he will not simply escape again. Unless you have another suggestion, he must be culled."/p  
p style="margin: 1em 0px 0px; color: #444444; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"December thought, and thought. He couldn't let September just die. After the first time September put his neck on the line for him after the August incident, and the sworn oath to never tell the higher authorities about the feelings they had developed from Observing the past. There had to be a better way. Then it dawned upon him. "If September is so "compassionate" and like the natives… Why not let him be one? I believe we have the capacity to make it so," he said quietly, and evenly. December did not wish to let the Commander know that he cared for September./p  
p style="margin: 1em 0px 0px; color: #444444; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"The Commander seemed to be considering this thought. It would be an interesting opportunity to see if indeed their species could be essentially reverted to the status of twenty first century humans. It would make September so much easier to control as well. He would not be able to move through time as he pleased. The Commander nodded slowly. "It would be poor of me to waste a scientific opportunity… March, take him to the laboratories."/p  
p style="margin: 1em 0px 0px; color: #444444; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"That was the last December saw of September before his reversion./p  
p style="margin: 1em 0px 0px; color: #444444; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"…../p  
p style="margin: 1em 0px 0px; color: #444444; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"The Present:/p  
p style="margin: 1em 0px 0px; color: #444444; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;""Indeed I do," December spoke, hollowly. He could not imagine the things that the scientists had to have done to make him a Native. He believed they were extremely uncomfortable in the very least. After September had been reverted, December had received news from an associate that he had been moved to an apartment designated by the authorities. He could not bring himself to pay September a visit as he had a growing sense of guilt for everything he had done: bringing about the invasion, the pain he must have brought September… December felt that he truly did owe September after everything. "I shall retrieve it." December felt a sense of dread. Something unfriendly to both of them was approaching. "I will pay you a visit once I have it in my possession. I would not recommend staying here much longer."/p  
p style="margin: 1em 0px 0px; color: #444444; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"September looked a bit frightened, but dared not question December. He still respected the man. "I bid you adieu, December." He patted December on the back./p  
p style="margin: 1em 0px 0px; color: #444444; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"Once September left, December went to the laboratory storage vault in 2609. He searched for an initiating reactor, primarily used to transport shipments across various points in time. He saw it in a sealed container with a keypad on it. He hoped his old code would still work to open the containers. December approached the box and entered the code he had. The box opened with a click, leaving the initiating reactor exposed. It seems like they did not take his code out of the security system yet. He grabbed it and returned to his apartment in the past./p  
p style="margin: 1em 0px 0px; color: #444444; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"December felt the uneasiness he felt earlier. It was much closer this time. He identified it as Loyalists. They seemed to be heading towards his apartment. He was out of energy to teleport again. A sigh escaped his lips. He simply couldn't let the Loyalists capture him and bring him in for questioning. He knew he'd be read by one of the observers in law enforcement. If that happened, September would get caught. He couldn't let him get caught. He saw it within September that he and the old Fringe team are the key to saving the Natives and his fellow Observers from dying. December had only one option. He would have to die. He retrieved a knife from the kitchen, and some rope from the closet. Then he approached the dining room table. This is going to hurt. He braced himself as he brought the knife to the base of his neck and made an incision. Inserting his fingers into the incision, December removed the tech and smashed it onto the dining room table crying out in pain and shock. He had to make sure that any evidence of what had transpired between himself and September was gone. He took a few seconds to breath and try to stabilize himself enough for what he had to do next./p  
p style="margin: 1em 0px 0px; color: #444444; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"Once he was stable enough, he pulled out a dining room chair. Grabbing the rope, he stepped up onto the chair and tossed one end over the beam that ran across the ceiling. December made a secure knot then proceeded to make a noose. Placing his head and neck within the noose, he stepped off the chair and kicked it away. He struggled, as it was instinct. But this was a battle he had to lose in order to keep the Observers from reading him after his death. Slowly the edges of his vision faded to black, and soon enough he blacked heartbeat slowed to a complete stop. Death had bestowed it's kiss upon him./p  
p style="margin: 1em 0px 0px; color: #444444; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"The Loyalists were outside his apartment door, and knocked profusely before trying to break it in. "December?! December?! You are under arr…. Well shit… the baldie is dead." One Loyalist said to his partner./p  
p style="margin: 1em 0px 0px; color: #444444; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;""Dude. Don't disrespect them. They are Observers." The Loyalist inspected the scene. "… It looks like he did this to himself? I don't get it."/p  
p style="margin: 1em 0px 0px; color: #444444; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;""We ought to report this to HQ," The first Loyalist replied./p  
p style="margin: 1em 0px 0px; color: #444444; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;""Windmark is not going to be happy," The other Loyalist spoke./p  
p style="margin: 1em 0px 0px; color: #444444; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;""Is he ever 'happy'?" replied the first loyalist./p 


End file.
